The city has already taken some steps to keep drivers safer, such as fitting buses with an enclosure that keeps drivers separate from passengers, Hill said. The union is working with the CTA and the Mayor’s Office to evaluate options for making transit safer. “If people don’t feel safe, they’re not going to get on the bus or the train in the first place,” he said.Ī spokesperson for CTA declined to comment on the incident.ĭrivers are looking to elected officials and law enforcement agencies to take action to keep buses and trains safe so CTA can live up to its reputation as a world-class transit system, Hill said. Ridership has been recovering, but safety issues are likely a key concern stopping many commuters from choosing public transit, he said. Those concerns come as the CTA is already struggling with staffing, leading to many train and bus lines seeing service cuts.Īnd the concerns aren’t just affecting CTA workers, Hill said. If a person don’t feel safe, why would they go to work?” Hill said. “If we don’t see something soon, we’re going to have to change our mindset about driving these routes.
RELATED: As Complaints Of Late Trains And Missing Buses Mount, City Officials Call For Hearing On ‘Deteriorated’ CTA Serviceĭozens of riders were on the West Side bus at the time of the shooting and the relatively new driver was “very distraught” and “scarred” by the shooting, Hill said. Robberies and batteries are both up significantly from pre-pandemic levels on the CTA, according to a CBS Chicago data analysis.īut many bus drivers don’t feel safe coming to work as the risk of violence has “grown tremendously” for CTA workers and passengers, said Keith Hill, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241, which represents bus drivers. The teen’s identity had not been released by the Cool County Medical Examiner’s office as of Tuesday morning.Ĭrime on the CTA has been a consistent problem for the last year, leading to officials adding more police and guards to popular routes and stations.
The teen died, while the other passenger had a graze wound, police said. Two men got onto the bus, walked to the back and shot the teen and another passenger. Sunday in the 300 block of South Pulaski Road, police said. WEST GARFIELD PARK - Bus drivers are calling for better safety protocols on the CTA after a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed while riding the bus on the West Side.
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